Car-brake



'(No Model.) u

l I'. WAGNER.

GAR BRAKE.

Patented Peb.- 9, 1897. V

vUNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.

FRED WAGNER, VOF CARNEGIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-BRAK E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,925, dated February9, 189'7.

Application filed February 14, 1896. Serial No. 579,283.` (No model.)

To all whom iv' may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED VAGNER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Carnegie, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inlBrakes, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in brakes,and relates more particularly to thatA class known as emergency-brakes,employed on street-cars and the like in addition to the regular brakes,to be used when it is desired to stop the car Y suddenly.

The invention has for its object the construction of a brake of theabove-described class that will be extremely useful in preventingaccidents and the like, as a car equipped with my improved brake may bestopped almost instantly, if so desired, even when running at a highrate or speed.

A still further object of the invention is to construct a brake, asabove described ,that will be extremely simple in itsconstruction,strong, durable, effectual in its operation, andcomparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view the invention finally consistsin the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, to behereinafter more specifically described, and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and whereinlike letters of referenceindicate similar parts throughout the severalviews, in which- Figure lisa cross-sectional view of aportion of a car,showing the brake in its normal position. Fig. 2 is a similar Viewshowing the brake applied to the wheels. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of mybrake.

In the drawings, d represents the main shaft, which is supported byclamps b l), attached to the underneath side of the car. Anoperating-lever c is provided, which is preferably secured to the shafta at or near the center, so as to make the pressure equal on both sideswhen applying the brake. Curved brake arms or rods c, of resilientmaterial, are provided near the ends of the shaft a or at any point sothat they will be directly over the bearing portion of the wheels. Thesebrakearms are provided at their free ends with a flat portion d, whichis slightly wider and thicker, so as to form a shoe to engage the rail.A rack eis provided on the platform of the car and carries a cam f,which engages the operating-lever and retains the brake in its normalposition.

The operation of myimproved emergencyx brake will be readily apparentfrom the views of the same which I have shown in the drawings. l

When the posts have been secured to their respective positions, as shownin Fig. l of the drawings, the brake will be in its normal position andwill not interfere with the working of the ordinary brake in any manner.In oase it is desired to check the speed of the car suddenly theoperator will grasp the handle of the operating-lever and by pullingbackward on the same will force the op erating-lever past the cam f andforce the brake-rods downward until the free end of the same cornes intoengagement with the bearing portion of the wheel, when a slightly-harderpressure on the operating-lever, together with the bearing of the wheelon the free end of the rod, will cause the same to spring sufficientlyto allow it to pass the point of contact on the wheel and descend to therail. When the shoe d engages the rail and Wheel, the friction of theWheel, which is traveling in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, willdraw the shoe under and cause t-he wheel to ride on the shoe, and thebrake-rod being of resilient material will engage the periphery of thewheel.

Then it is desired to release the brake, a

push backward on the operating-lever will raise the brake to its normalposition again and the cam will retain the same in this position.

In cases where the cars are not turned at the end'of the line the brakesmay be applied to both ends of the car, so as to provide anemergency-brake at all times.

I desire to call particular attention to the use of my improvedemergency-brake incase where accidents are liable to occur, such as thecar getting beyond the control of the m0- IOO tornian or a person isliable to be struck by the car. The ordinary brakes are not sufcient toprevent the accident, while by the use of my improved brake the ear canbe stopped almost instantly, if desired, or as oecasion should require.attention to the fact that the same can be operated without in anymanner interfering Patent, is-

l. In a brake, a shaft secured by clamps to the under side of the ear,said shaft having I also desire to call' near its center anoperating-lever and earrying near its ends curved brake-rods adapted toengage the bearing portion of the wheels when the brake is appliedsubstantially as shown and described.

2. In a brake, a shaft secured to the under neath side of the car, saidshaft carrying,` curved brake-rods provided on their free ends with adat portion adapted to engage the rail, an operating-lever secured tothe shaft,and eX- tending1 through the iioor of the car and a rackcarrying a cam adapted to engage the operating-lever and retain thebrake in its elevated position substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED IVAGNER.

lVitnesses:

A. M. WILSON, H. E. SEIBERT.

